Loving the Wild Card (2 page)

Chapter 1

Each time his eyes landed on Noelle, Josh couldn’t help but smile. The
kid was an exact replica of her mother, red hair, freckles and all.

It didn’t matter that Noelle’s vocabulary amounted to around fifteen
words at a stretch. The words she managed to produce had them all doing her
bidding as though they were her subjects. That her attitude of assurance was
Jake’s doing, he never doubted. He couldn’t fault his brother. If ever he was
lucky enough to have a daughter, he too would teach her that she deserved only
the best, and to accept nothing less.

The lunch Aviva had cooked for them was the type of food that made grown
men content. Everyone welcomed the suggestion of a walk to make room for
dessert. As his gaze wandered across the expanse of land that surrounded Jason
and Aviva’s new home; without warning, a feeling of restlessness assailed him,
and Josh moved away from the rest of his family. Everyone was making their way
back to the house after a walk in the crisp February air. While he loved his
family more than anything else, somehow he wanted to be alone.

Sticking his hands in his pockets, Josh gazed around. Winter had yet to
loosen its grip, and a feeling of disquiet settled over him. Something vital
was missing from his life. Elusive as ever, the thought, recently his constant
companion, dissolved as though carried away by the wind.

His strides lengthened as he tried to make sense of the way he was
feeling. His head snapped up as a shrill scream tore through the air. The scene
that played out before him would be something he would never forget.

His father and brothers were around fifty yards further down the hill
than the women, and MacKenzie held Noelle in her arms. The blood-curdling sound
came from MacKenzie, and after that, everything seemed to happen in slow
motion. MacKenzie all but threw Noelle into Aviva’s arms as she picked up
speed.

“Get out the way, get out the way; I can’t stop, I can’t stop!” She
shouted, her arms flapping in warning.

The furthest person down the hill, Josh made ready to intercept a
runaway MacKenzie. He needn’t have worried, with a loud,
oh shit!
Jake
was on the move, eating up the space between him and an out of control
MacKenzie. Throwing out a long arm, Jake snagged her around the waist and
lifted her clean off her feet. He’d successfully stopped her downward flight,
but now they were both careening down the hill.

Watching and filming every moment of the surreal scene, Josh laughed out
loud. By the sounds of it, Noelle thought her mother was playing a game because
she too was screaming with laughter.

In a show of strength, Jake somehow managed to dig in his heels and
bring them both to a halt. How he kept them on their feet, Josh didn’t know.

****

Safely back in the house, Jake and Aviva made a fuss of MacKenzie. The
other men sat in silence with huge grins on their faces. Each time Jake and
Aviva turned away from an embarrassed looking MacKenzie, they
allowed
their amusement to show.
“Y’all
have no sympathy in your hearts. How can y’all be making what happened to me
your amusement of the hour?!”

“You have to be kidding, Kenzie that was as funny as hell!” Josh managed
to get out around his laughter.

At her tut of irritation, he decided that was the moment to whip out his
phone for a replay of her misfortune.

“Jacob!” MacKenzie spoke through gritted teeth. “You better get that
phone and delete that mess before I have to deal with that provoking s-h-i-t!”
MacKenzie spelled out, ever mindful of her daughter.

Jason chose that moment to enter the conversation as though something
was puzzling him. “I don’t understand why you couldn’t stop, couldn’t stop,” he
teased repeating the words. “It’s not as though the hill’s that steep!?”

As he stopped speaking; the sound of MacKenzie’s voice reverberated
around the room.
Get out the way, get out the way; I can’t stop, I can’t
stop!
And everyone again erupted into laughter. Just then Josh’s phone
began to ring. Looking down at the screen that was devoid of a caller ID; he
stood, excused himself and left the room.

“Joshua Kingdom,” he said answering the call.

“It’s Sam,” came the simple response.

Looking over his shoulder, Josh pulled the door shut and walked into
Jason’s study before responding.

“What’s going on, man?”

“I need your help.”

Over the years, while Josh couldn’t say he and Sam were friends, they
afforded each other a form of mutual respect. Samuel Lee or Counterfeit as he
was known in certain circles, rarely asked him for favors.

However, when Jason and Aviva had been in trouble, it had taken only one
call from him, and Counterfeit had watched their backs all the way. Josh knew
he owed him and he was prepared to pay his debt.

“What do you need?”

The sound of laughter that came through the line carried no hint of
amusement. “It seems you’re still the same impulsive boy I first met all those
years ago.”

“Impulsive, at times, yes. A boy…I was never a boy.” Josh responded to
the flippant statement. “What do you need?” He repeated.

Without preamble, Counterfeit got to the point. “I want you to go and
get, Lux. Then I want you to keep her safe. Can you do that, Joshua Kingdom?”

The way he said his whole name annoyed Josh, but he didn’t address it.
“What’s going on, man?” Josh asked as a feeling of dread settled over him.

“Can you do it?!” Counterfeit repeated with irritation.

“Yes.”

“Open the front door. A package should be outside.”

Josh was furious. “If you’ve brought your mess to my brother’s door, I’m
not going to be a happy man!”

“Relax, Joshua Kingdom. Your family is safe from any of my
mess
.
I wish I could say the same about my sister.”

As he listened to Counterfeit, Josh opened the front door and picked up
the manila envelope on the doorstep. “I have it.”

“Good. Maybe at some point in time you and I will meet again. In the
meantime, make sure you take care of her this time around.”

Josh said nothing more because the phone was already dead.

Retreating into Jason’s study, he slipped his phone into his pocket and
sat down. A deep breath later, he hesitantly pulled at the gummy flap that
sealed the envelope together. Reaching inside, Josh withdrew a single sheet of
paper. There was no name or descriptions, just an anagram that took him exactly
two seconds to decipher.

Ripping the paper into ever smaller sections, Josh stood, walked to the
blazing fire and deposited the confetti-like pieces into it. Then he watched
until the flames consumed every fragment.

“What’s going on, Josh?” Jason asked from the doorway.

Josh hadn’t heard his approach, and for a moment contemplated how much
to reveal in response to his brother’s question.

Deciding to keep matters as simple as possible, he turned to his brother
with a serious expression. “I have to leave.”

Jason’s stare was contemplative. Josh thought he was going to press for
more information, and was relieved when no further questions came.

“Okay, but if you’re in some kind of trouble, you know I’ve got your
back, but I don’t like surprises. So this is where I throw back your comment at
you; we’re family and you need to trust me and tell me what’s going on.”

“I’m going away for a short while. You can help by telling the rest of
the family, not to worry. I should be back in a couple of days.”

“I don’t like it when you turn evasive and when did I become your
messenger?” Jason returned stubbornly.

Josh moved towards his brother with a steely look in his eyes while
Jason stood his ground.

When Josh reached the door, Jason’s hands shot out and grabbed his
younger brother in a bear hug. Holding him close to his body, Jason whispered
into his ear. “Do not do anything foolish; my wife loves you too much, and I
kinda like having you around as well.”

Holding on to his brother in return, Josh responded, “I feel the same
way, man.” Pushing away, Josh made a decision. “If you want to know more, ask
Jake; just tell him I said…Lux.” Extricating himself from Jason’s embrace, he
stepped to the side to pass through the doorway, but stopped long enough for
one more comment. “If I need you guys, I promise I’ll call.” With that, he was
gone.

****

When Jason rejoined his family, he could see that Aviva knew something
was wrong. Looking behind him as though searching for Josh, she raised an
eyebrow in inquiry.

“He’s gone,” Jason’s comment wasn’t only for the benefit of his wife, he
wanted everyone to know.

While the women inquired as to his whereabouts, Jake asked the relevant
question.

“What did he
say
?”

“He told me to say,
Lux
.” Jason was watching his twin carefully
and saw the way his body tightened at the mention of that one word.

“What’s Lux,” Aviva asked, missing Jake’s reaction.

Exhaling a deep breath, Jake looked over at his father who wore the same
expression as his eldest son. Sadness, Jason thought. They looked sad.

Taking a seat beside his wife, Jason pulled her close and waited. He
knew one of them would speak when they were ready. Aware that Aviva was about
to repeat her question, he gave her a gentle squeeze to remain quiet.

“Lux isn’t a
what
, my dear, but rather a
who
. In fact,
she’s the woman who broke my son’s heart.”

At his father’s words, Jason felt Aviva stiffen against him and
commended himself at how far he’d come. In the past, Aviva’s reaction would
have irked him. Now that he understood her and Josh’s affection for each other,
he saw it for what it was; the love of a sister for her brother. Leaning over,
he kissed his wife on the forehead as Jackson began to fill in the details.

“Lux was the only woman Josh ever introduced me to. I’ll admit that when
I first met her I had reservations.” Coming to an abrupt stop, Jackson appeared
lost in introspection.

“Reservations about what?” MacKenzie asked.

Visibly pulling himself from his reverie, Jackson stared at MacKenzie as
though choosing his words with care. “It is my belief that Josh loved her too
much,” Jackson finally replied.

“Why do you say that?” Aviva inquired.

“I say that because she didn’t take enough care of his love,” Jackson
said looking between Aviva and MacKenzie. “To me, Lux always appeared to have
one foot in their relationship, and the other lifted and poised to leave. In
the end, that’s exactly what she did.”

Jason stiffened. The feel of Aviva’s hand entwining their fingers gave
him a silent reassurance that Jackson wasn’t speaking about their relationship.

“Poor Josh,” Aviva whispered.

“He was a mess for such a long time after she left, Jake and I wondered
if he would ever break loose of his melancholy. When he finally did, he began
staying out late and getting into all kinds of trouble.

I’m sure I don’t know the half of what he got up to. Jake no doubt could
fill you in much more accurately than I.”

All eyes turned to Jake, who shrugged his broad shoulders before he
spoke. “I don’t know as much as dad thinks I do. All he ever really told me was
that he’d made a mistake. What that mistake was, I don’t know. When I realized
his reluctance to fill me in, I didn’t press the matter. We’ve always been
close, so I was prepared to wait until he was ready to talk. To this day, I
have no idea what went wrong between them. Did he say anything else?” Jake
asked his twin.

“Only that he’d call us if he needed us.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean, Jason? Do you know where he’s
gone?” At the negative shake of his head, Aviva continued her reprimand of her
husband. “What were you thinking; I can’t believe you allowed him to just walk
out of this house on his own!”

“Angel, Josh is a grown man. If he wants to leave, I have no sway over
him doing just that.” The only reaction he received for that piece of
information was a narrowing of her eyes.

Chapter 2

When Josh left Jason and Aviva’s house, he made a quick stop at the Kingdom
mansion to collect his passport and clothes before traveling to the airport. He
didn’t order the Kingdom jet to standby; doing so would have possibly drawn
unwanted attention to his final destination. Instead, he paid cash for a
first-class return ticket to the island of Trinidad.

It was Carnival season in Trinidad and Tobago, and Josh was relieved at
how well he blended in with the countless other tourists.

Reclining in a seat, he waited for his flight to be announced.
Outwardly, he gave the impression of casual calm, but his mind refused to slow
down. As his eyes panned the crowded departure area, he knew he needed a
distraction, and there she was; a beautiful woman sitting a few seats over. In
his musings, he hadn’t noticed her before, but the same couldn’t be said for
her, she was staring right at him in open invitation.

Josh smiled, his dimples on full display even as he readied himself to
go and make her acquaintance. Before he could move, the woman rose and
sauntered towards him. The first thing that caught his attention as she moved
ever closer was that she was built and racked.

The woman had to be at least six feet tall and her breasts and hips were
in direct proportion to her height. There was no getting away from it, she was
one sexy woman. Josh knew a challenge when he saw one. The woman’s eyes were
daring him; silently asking whether he could handle her. If he’d encountered
her at any other time, he knew he would be in for the kind of sex he
deliberately sought out. His preference was all about variety. White, black,
Asian; hell it didn’t matter to him as long as it was hard and hot.

Ironically, though he wanted a distraction, he knew this woman wasn’t
going to be it, or at least he wasn’t going to take up her challenge. Whatever
she had in mind, he wasn’t about to indulge her. That didn’t say he couldn’t
enjoy himself with a brief flirtation while he waited.

Easing back into his seat, he waited for her to arrive. When she reached
him, she looked him up and down, her eyes coming to a stop on his groin.

“So, do you want to show me what you’ve got, dimples?”

Josh wanted to laugh. If the unoriginality of a come-on was all she had,
he knew she wasn’t going to be much of a distraction. In fact, based on that
single comment, he decided she wasn’t even worth a flirtation. Never forgetting
his manners, he did however, rise to his feet and offered her the vacant seat
beside him.

When he retook his seat, Josh nearly choked at the words muttered by the
gray haired Caribbean woman sitting on his right.

“Well, at least you got good upbringing. If I were you, I wouldn’t
bother wid dat one. Dat gal’s IQ is no bigger dan she breast size!”

Josh immediately, knew who he’d rather be speaking to. Older Caribbean
people always fascinated him because they were funny without knowing it. The
way they spoke was so matter-of-fact it never failed to amuse him, but it was
too late, the buxom woman was demanding his attention.

“So what do you say, big boy, do you want us to find someplace where I
can show you what I’ve got?” The woman purred, running her fingernails up and
down his forearm.

Before he could respond the older woman’s voice floated towards him.

“Big boy! If I were you, I would mek sure me backside glue to dat seat.
Because whatever dat gal want to show you, going to be wid you til de doctor
clear you!”

That was it. Josh lost all interest in his would be sexual distraction.
It was all he could do to hold back laughter. The only reason he’d heard the
older woman’s running commentary was because he had exceptional hearing.

Not wanting to hurt the buxom woman’s feelings, his mind strove for a
way to get her to move on. Deciding to be completely candid, Josh looked her in
the eyes and smiled. “At any other time, you would be exactly what I would
need, but right now, I’m just not interested. You see, in the time it took you
to make your way over here, I found someone else who holds my interest much
more than you ever could.”

By the time he’d said his piece, she was good and mad. She was exactly
the type of woman that gravitated towards him. While she might be angry with
him now, by the time she cooled down, he would be long forgotten. When she gave
him a scornful look and left, his only reaction was a shrug of his shoulders.

Turning to the older woman sitting to his right, he smiled. “I took your
advice, I’ve always had an aversion to spending too much time in the doctor’s
office.”

Looking directly at each other for the first time, Josh’s smile grew
with each word she spoke. “Me jus glad you nuh so stupid, you nuh hear what mama
have fe tell you,” the old woman said patting his hand.

Oh, he’d heard alright. His destiny laid elsewhere, and it was time he
met it head on.

****

Lux was exhausted. The preparations leading up to Carnival were always
the same. Her troupe of dancers needed constant attention. If ever the term
divas
should be associated with a group of women, her dancers were it.

The make-up of the troupe was something Lux was proud of. Women came in
all different shapes, sizes as well as hues. It took her a few years, but she’d
used the time well to pull together dancers that were reflective of the
beautiful mix of people on the island.

Unlike other troupes whose makeup of dancer seemed to be based on eye
candy, she had two stipulations where her dancers were concerned. They were
required to have enough dance skills to perform her moves for hours on end, and
in order to do that, they had to be physically fit.

Every year there was a running battle between the ladies about what they
should wear. The outfits kept getting smaller while their demands got bigger.
Lux knew this was going to be her last year running the troupe; she was done
living with the stressful demands of so many women, her nerves couldn’t take
it.

Exactly how she found herself in her current position, she didn’t really
know. One day they were a group of seven women who won a dance contest. The
next thing she knew there were at least one hundred women all vying to join
them.

Carnival was the biggest tourist attraction for Trinidad. Each year
hundreds of thousands of people gathered on the island to enjoy the
festivities. Lux soon came to realize that many of the younger women who
approached her for membership thought the troupe, and being seen in skimpy
outfits would be their ticket off the island. While she didn’t accede to their
way of thinking, she made no attempts to dissuade them. If they met her two
criteria and didn’t disrupt the group, that was fine with her.

Shaking her head to dislodge her disquieting thoughts, Lux moved towards
her small kitchen, switching on a side lamp as she went. Exhausted, all she
wanted was a cup of tea and a hot bath. Tomorrow was going to be a long, busy
and no doubt eventful day. The divas were going to be in full flow, and she was
going to have to bring her A-game to contain them.

Filling the kettle she set it to boil, removed a mug and reached for the
tea bags.

“I still take mine with cream and no sugar.”

Lux spun around, her eyes opening wide at the sight of Joshua Kingdom
leaning against the doorjamb assessing her. His pose of folded arms and crossed
legs rattled her so much she was lost for words. Heat immediately rushed into
her face, and for a moment she thought she was going to embarrass herself by
hyperventilating.

“How did you get in here?” She demanded bravado coming to her aid. Not
waiting for a response, Lux picked up steam as she switched from shock to
vexation. “Don’t bother to answer that, just get out of my house!”

“Tut, Tut, Luxandria. That temper of yours is going to get you into
serious trouble one of these days,” Josh laughed.

“Come on Josh, you’re going to have to do better than that. I no longer
care if you call me by my given name; as long as you do it while you’re out of
my house and my sight!” When she was finished, Lux watched to see how he would
react to her dismissal.

Straightening from his relaxed position, and with no change of
expression, Josh threw out a command. “Pack a bag and your passport; you’re
coming with me.”

For a moment, Lux could only stare at him, her mouth hanging open in
shock. That he thought he could come into her house and dole out orders caused
a red haze to settle over her vision. About to blast him, she remembered she
was no longer the young woman he’d once known. She was a grown ass woman and
Joshua Kingdom was no longer a part of her life.

Snorting at his order, Lux turned back to the job of making her tea. “I
don’t know how you got in here; all I ask is that you leave in the same way.”

Before she’d even finished speaking, Lux felt his big body pressed
against her back. Her awareness of every hard muscle that touched her was
immediate. She remembered the feel of him, the scent of him, how it felt when
he ran his hands over her naked body, when he was buried deep inside her making
her scream out his name.

Drawing in her breath, Lux used everything within her not to show what
he did to her. “Get away from me!”

“Umm, now what should I do?” Josh mumbled against her ear. “Your words
tell me one thing while this little pulse beating away right here,” he nipped
her neck to indicate the spot. “Tells me something entirely different.”

Lux wanted to turn around and cuss him out face to face and she nearly
did. Then it dawned on her; to do so would bring their bodies to a level of
intimacy that she wasn’t ready for. The feelings he stimulated within her were
so powerful, she remained exactly as she was, her back to him.

“Ahh, Luxandria,” Josh laughed. “I nearly had you there.” As he spoke,
he leaned in closer. Burying his nose into her hair, his hands rested on the
counter top, caging her in.

“You smell good, Luxandria. The same as I remember with a little bit of
the islands mixed in for good measure... I like it.”

“You have exactly three seconds to move. If you don’t, I’m going to hurt
you,” Lux told him through gritted teeth.

The sound of his laughter galvanized her into movement. In one quick
motion, she reached for a spoon and brought it down hard in the exact position
where his hand had been only moments before.

No longer feeling the heat of his body, Lux used the opportunity to spin
around to face him. She wouldn’t have deliberately hurt him, and the only
reason she’d used the spoon was because she remembered how quickly he could
move when the need arose.

“Don’t let me have to hurt you, Joshua!” Lux waved the spoon before her
as a threat.

“My God, Luxandria!” Josh used a high pitched voice as he held his
undamaged hand to his chest. “You nearly stabbed me with a... a blunt spoon!”

He looked and sounded so dumb, Lux almost laughed. Then she remembered
who she was dealing with. Joshua Kingdom, the biggest trickster she’d ever met.
Ignoring his attempts to make her laugh, Lux repeated her demand that he leave.

“I can’t do that Lux,” Josh answered, all signs of playfulness gone.
“Your brother sent me. You need to come with me.”

The mention of her brother spiked a pulse of pleasure to know that he
was still alive; even as it annoyed her that the thought even entered her head.
Both Josh and her brother knew she wanted nothing to do with either of them.
She’d told them so years ago and as far as she was concerned her feelings were
the same.

Knowing it was useless to attempt to dissuade him; Lux turned and made
her tea as though she hadn’t heard a word he’d said. She didn’t offer him a cup
either.

“Didn’t you hear what I said, we have to go.” Josh finally spoke after
she had taken two sips of her hot drink.

“I heard you. However, I’m thinking it can’t be that urgent we leave,
otherwise you wouldn’t be standing in my kitchen talking foolishness.” Leaning
back against the counter, Lux waited to hear what he had to say to her logic.

He ignored her comment. “I know you don’t believe that your brother
loves you, but he does. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have sent me for you. He
believes you could be in some kind of danger.”

“The only reason I'd be at risk is because of his lifestyle,” Lux
flashed back at him. “I don’t want anything to do with him, or you! Just so
there’s no misunderstanding, I’m not going anywhere with you. My life is here,
without you, and I intend to keep it that way.”

Josh didn’t acknowledge her remarks, so, Lux finished her tea. Then she
took her time washing and drying the cup. When she was finished, she finally
turned back to a silent Josh.

“Do you know why I love it here so much?” Lux asked the too quiet
interloper in her little house. “I love it because every day when I wake up, I
know that you and my brother are out of my life. All I need is for you to
understand one thing, I don’t want you here and you’re the last person on earth
I would go anywhere with.” When she finally drew to a close, Lux held her
breath for his explosion.

“Okay,” Josh agreed with a shrug.